


Crossing The Line

by heartlikethat



Series: Instant Star AU [1]
Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, But There’s Also Mutual Attraction, Don’t Read If The Age Gap Is A ✨Problem✨, F/M, Friendship, Instant Star au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25241485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartlikethat/pseuds/heartlikethat
Summary: 16 year old Zoey Clarke gets her dream internship at SPRQ Point where she meets 23 year old Max Richman.
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Series: Instant Star AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067138
Comments: 34
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I’m pretty excited about this. This story is 100% inspired by the TV series Instant Star (apparently I have a thing for shows with singing redheads who are natural blondes). If you ever watched that, you’ll have a general idea of how this story is gonna go.
> 
> Since Zoey is 16 in this, her dad doesn’t have PSP yet, so no MRI and no musical powers.

“Listen up, this is Zoey Clarke, our newest and youngest intern.”

Everyone looked expectantly at Joan, waiting for her to continue but apparently that was all she had to say on the matter. “Why are you all staring at me? Go! Get back to work!” Joan let out a loud, exasperated sigh as she turned and headed toward her office.

The team quickly scattered, except for Zoey who wasn’t entirely sure what it was she was meant to be doing. She stood awkwardly on the stairs, clasping and unclasping her hands nervously as she peered out over the bullpen. Somehow she was expected to work alongside all these brilliant programmers. It was safe to say she was more than a little intimidated.

A tap on her shoulder had Zoey jumping about a foot into the air, clutching her hand to her chest. Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment after she turned and recognized the person as one of the coders.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Max.” He held out his hand.

Zoey stared stupidly at it for several long moments before her brain finally caught up and she extended her own hand to meet his. An inaudible gasp escaped her lips as a sudden warmth spread up her arm like wildfire at the simple contact.

_Huh. That’s weird._

Max didn’t seem to notice anything amiss as she released her hand. “I’m Zoey. But um... I guess you already know that.” She offered a sheepish smile as she attempted to tuck her wild hair behind her ears.

“Yeah,” he smiled warmly. “Anyway, I figured I could give you a tour, show you the ropes and whatnot. I know Joan can be slightly terrifying.”

Zoey laughed. “Slightly?”

After showing her every corner of the fourth floor, Zoey was even more mesmerized. This place had a meditation room, isolation pods, a _cereal bar._ She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to be working here for the next three months.

After grabbing some cereal — Frosted Flakes for Max, Raisin Bran for Zoey — he guided her to sit on one of the nearby stools. “So,” Max began, “Joan mentioned you’re the youngest intern we’ve ever had. You’re what... nineteen?” He guessed. Most of the interns were in their junior year of college, but he figured she must be a sophomore.

“Sixteen.” She corrected him.

He about choked on his cereal. “Wow. No one in high school has _ever_ scored an internship here. I gotta say, I’m a little intimidated by you.”

At his words, Zoey’s heart skipped a beat. “W-what?” She stammered. No guy had ever admitted to being _intimidated_ by _her_ before. Especially not someone who was several years older than her. She idly wondered just how old Max was. “It’s just, um. Well I just finished a Computer Architecture course. That’s how I found out about this opportunity, my professor recommended me for it. Anyway, none of the guys in my classes really take me seriously. Since I’m a girl I guess, or only sixteen. Actually it’s probably a combination of both. When they found out I got the internship they... were definitely not very happy.”

Max stared at her in awe, wondering how a sixteen year old was already taking upper division courses in computer science when she was seemingly still in high school.

Zoey appeared to understand what he was thinking. “I started dual enrollment the latter half of freshman year.” She shrugged.

“Wow. Now I’m for sure intimidated by you. You’re someone really special, I can tell.” His eyes were kind as he looked over at her. Zoey felt herself blushing at his words and gave him a shy smile in response. He moved to get up and she followed suit.

“Well,” Max led her down the stairs and gestured to an empty desk, “looks like you’re stuck staring at me for the next few months.” He plopped down at the desk across from hers.

Zoey took a seat. “It’ll be tough, but I’m sure I’ll manage,” she teased and was instantly taken aback by how at ease she already felt around him. Zoey considered herself to be a reserved person and it usually took a long time for her to feel comfortable enough around someone to be able to joke around like that. She had only just met Max thirty minutes ago.

Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, she realized Max had been telling her something.

“... and so yeah, I’ll just send you the files of what we’re working on and what your section will be. If you have any questions about anything, I’m right here.” As he finished speaking, a message from _Max Richman_ popped up on her screen. She promptly opened the file and began scanning its contents.

A few minutes later and Zoey was furiously typing away, hyper-focused on the screen in front of her. She was so consumed in her work that she didn’t notice Max staring at her in fascination, a soft smile on his face.

The day passed in a blur and when Zoey finally tore her gaze away from the computer, she was shocked to discover that she and Max were the only two left on the floor. _Huh._ She glanced at the time which read 7:13.

Lifting her eyes toward Max, she noticed him looking at her with an amused expression on his face. “Honestly I thought you were gearing up to pull an all-nighter. If fifteen more minutes had passed, I was going to place us an order for dinner.”

Zoey felt her cheeks go hot. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you. You could have left with everyone else, I wouldn’t have minded. Or noticed, probably.”

Max stretched his arms over his head, working out the kinks from sitting so long before raising himself from his chair and walking over to stand by her desk. “It’s no problem, really. It’s your first day and I didn’t want you to walk out alone. Plus, I’m very curious how you managed to work for seven hours straight without once taking a break. Are you even human?” He let out a small laugh as he offered his hand to help her up. She graciously accepted and felt that same warmth from earlier. She tried not to dwell on what _that_ was all about.

“You know, it’s funny you said that because my brother David tells me all the time he’s convinced I’m actually a robot very cleverly disguised. But yeah, I don’t know. When I get started on a project, I just can’t seem to stop until I’ve finished. There’s probably something wrong with me.” Zoey stepped into the elevator with Max and pressed the button for the first floor.

“Well, I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong with you,” Max answered quietly, averting his gaze. He seemed nervous and Zoey couldn’t pinpoint why that might be.

They exited the building in tandem. Once outside, Max turned to her. “See you tomorrow, Zoey.” He flashed her a smile before walking off to find his car.

When Zoey arrived home twenty minutes later, she called out a greeting to her parents before locking herself in her room and pulling out her journal to recount the events of the day.

_So,_ Zoey wrote, _I think I have a crush on this guy, Max Richman, who is totally out of my league... not to mention he’s 23!!!_ — Zoey may have looked him up on social media — _Oh well, he’d never think of me in that way anyhow. But my god, is he attractive..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we dive back in, I got some comments that made me want to offer a little clarity. I think Max is someone who his deeply rooted in his morals so that will definitely be taken into consideration as I write this. That’s not to say he won’t struggle at times, however.

Friday morning, Zoey once again woke up early, eager to get to work. Not many normal sixteen year olds would be thrilled to spend their summer vacation working forty plus hours a week. She happily did not consider herself to be normal.

She all but skipped into the kitchen, grabbing her NASA mug and pouring herself some coffee. She leaned back against the counter, brought the mug to her lips and let out a contented sigh.

“You’re in a good mood this morning,” her mother noted. Zoey had never really been a _morning person,_ but since starting at SPRQ Point on Monday, she found she actually _enjoyed_ waking up at the crack of dawn. And she especially loved the new ritual of quiet mornings spent sipping coffee with her parents.

Zoey couldn’t fight the smile that spread across her face. “I’m just excited to go to work.” _And see Max,_ she added to herself.

Her father walked into the kitchen, dropping a kiss on her head before making his own cup of coffee. “Good morning sweetheart.” Zoey’s heart swelled at how lucky she was to have such wonderful parents. Her brother was alright, too, she supposed.

“So,” Mitch began, “big day today. Last day of the first week of your internship. Have I told you how proud I am of you?” For as long as she could remember, her dad always did things like this — make seemingly insignificant events feel spectacular, like making it through her first week at SPRQ Point.

“Thanks, dad.” Zoey didn’t feel the need to mention that he told her multiple times a day just how proud he was. She was sure he already knew, anyway.

———

When she arrived to work, the fourth floor was in a frenzy. 

Cautiously, she lowered herself onto her chair and glanced around. Tobin looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown and Leif looked more stressed than usual. “Hey,” Zoey called over to Max, “what’s going on?”

“There’s a bug in the code that’s making all the SPRQ Watches show the time 12:34 indefinitely. It’s pretty ironic... a watch that can’t tell time.” Max laughed. “But Joan... well honestly I’ve never seen her _this_ mad before. She said we’re not allowed to leave until we fix this. And I’m not exaggerating when I say this — she will _literally_ not let us leave.”

Zoey grinned. She loved a challenge.

Only about forty-five minutes had elapsed before Zoey leaned back in her chair, the tense lines between her eyes smoothing. “I fixed it,” she whispered to herself in disbelief.

“Hey! I fixed it!” Zoey shot out of her chair like a bullet. She instantly regretted her actions as she remembered how the guys in her classes always reacted when she solved a problem before them. Now here she was, practically jumping up and down in exuberance in front of a bunch of experienced programmers.

Tobin was the first to say anything. “Damn! Where was this girl last year when Joan held us hostage for 34 hours because we couldn’t fix that calendar bug?” He pointed his fingers at her. “Zoey, you’re the real deal.” Walking over, he held up both of his hands for a high five. Zoey smacked her hands against his, a little dazed.

Nervously, she glanced around, trying the gauge the reactions of the rest of the team. They looked... _impressed?_ A few starting cheering, no doubt happy that they’d get to leave on time today.

Leif only looked slightly annoyed.

Max was staring at her with a look she couldn’t quite place. _Admiration?_ And something else. Whatever it was, it sent her heart racing. No one had ever looked at her like _that_ before.

“Zoey. My office.” Joan’s abrupt tone sent a shock of fear through her as she looked wide-eyed at Max. Surely she wasn’t in trouble for _doing her job?_

After reaching the office, she stood anxiously in the doorway.

“Sit.” Joan commanded.

Zoey entered and lowered herself on the chair, gripping the sides tightly to stop herself from fidgeting. She braved a peek at her boss. Joan was smiling. “Zoey, I’m very impressed by how quickly you managed to fix the code. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical when I found out you were only sixteen, I even asked Professor Caruso to send me someone else. But he insisted you were the best. I see now that he was right.”

Zoey’s head was spinning. “Uh... thank you?”

“You’re welcome.” Joan turned her attention back to her computer and began typing. “You can go.”

Zoey awkwardly shuffled out of the office and was met with a few questioning stares.

Feeling overwhelmed from all the attention — which was _nice,_ but also a bit much — Zoey escaped to the meditation room. Peering inside, she confirmed that it was empty and padded across the room to take a seat on the plush cushions. She welcomed the solitude.

Not even five minutes later, she heard the door open and saw Max standing there, looking unsure. “Sorry,” he scratched the back of his neck, “you just left in such a hurry. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

The fact that Max had come to check on her had Zoey feeling lighter than air. Sure, the rational part of her brain reasoned it was because they were _friends_ — well, she assumed they were friends since they ate lunch together all week and their conversations effortlessly shifted from serious to silly — but that didn’t stop her from imagining that it was somehow more than that.

When Max started moving, she expected him to sit on the cushions across the room. Perhaps he needed a break from all the chaos, too. She was shocked when he sat down directly in front of her, so close their knees were brushing.

“So, are you?” Max asked and it took Zoey a second to understand what he was referring to. 

“Oh yeah. I’m fine. Joan said I did a good job. I’m just not used to having people notice me.”

“Zoey, you’re amazing. What you did out there... how could anyone _not_ notice you?” Max had that look in his eyes again.

Zoey’s heart was hammering in her chest. She wasn’t one to take risks, especially when it came to guys, but Max’s knees were pressed against hers and honestly he just looked _so damn good._ And he thought she was _amazing._

She knew she should get up and put some space between them before she did something stupid.

_Screw it._

She leaned over and kissed him.

For a split second, Zoey swore Max was about to kiss her back. But then his hands were on her shoulders, gently — almost regretfully — pushing her away. “Zoey, you’re sixteen.” She turned her head, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. “I... I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”

Max let out a shaky breath. “It’s okay, I’m not mad. Let’s just forget this ever happened.” Zoey nodded mutely.

Wordlessly, Max stood up and headed for the door. Once there, he hesitated, hand hovering over the handle. Zoey thought he might turn around, say he didn’t want to forget the kiss, maybe tell her that he’s into her, too.

A moment later, he turned the handle and Zoey was alone once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Monday came far too quickly for Zoey’s liking. 

Shortly after the kissing incident on Friday, Joan had found her in the bathroom looking rather pale and insisted she take the rest of the day off. If it had been a normal day where she hadn’t made a fool of herself and kissed a man seven years her senior, she would have never agreed to skip out early. However, given the circumstances, she was glad to have the weekend to sort through the mess she made.

Now the weekend was over and she still didn’t have a clue what she was going to do or how she was supposed to act around Max.

So, she locked herself away in an isolation pod. Like a coward.

The morning passed uneventfully. She managed to complete a large section of code before her stomach loudly demanded she eat something already. She paused her true crime podcast, slid off her headphones, discreetly exited the isolation pod and hid behind a pillar. God. She was pathetic.

As Zoey cautiously maneuvered her way toward the elevators, she noticed a cute blonde girl approaching Max’s desk. She stopped in her tracks and strained to hear their conversation.

“Hey, are you ready to go for lunch?” Zoey heard the girl ask Max.

“Sure, just gotta save this and... done! Shall we?” He extended his arm and the girl happily took it, smiling wide.

_Hm._ Zoey was confused. She and Max had went for lunch every day last week and he never once mentioned having a girlfriend. She was pretty certain she had even _casually_ asked if he had anyone special in his life. Purely out of general curiosity, of course. He had said no, she was sure of it. So who was this mystery girl?

Zoey contemplated that as she stayed a safe distance behind Max and his new lunch companion as they headed for the elevator. Even though she had been purposely avoiding him all morning with no intention to seek him out to continue their trend of eating lunch together, she couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that Max had already replaced her.

Which was ridiculous. They’d known each other for a week and Max certainly didn’t owe her daily lunch dates. She really need to _reign it in._

She waited until the doors closed on the pair before she emerged from hiding and waited for the next elevator.

Standing there, she took out her phone to see if she had any new messages.

“Zoey, right?” Came an unfamiliar voice to her right.

“Yep, that’s me. Uh, hey. Hi.” She gave an awkward wave and tucked her phone back in her pocket. She recognized him from part of the marketing team and he looked positively stressed out.

“Simon,” he introduced himself as a loud _ding_ signaled the arrival of the elevator. They both stepped in.

She peered over and his head was resting back against the wall. ”Is everything... alright?” 

“Not exactly,” Simon let out a sigh. “The florist for my wedding just backed out and I haven’t had much luck finding a suitable replacement.”

Zoey perked up. “My parents own a landscaping business, which is florist adjacent, but I’m positive they know someone who could help. I can ask them tonight and get back to you tomorrow, if you want.”

“Um yeah. Actually, that would be super helpful.” He paused. “Were you sent here to solve everyone’s problems?” At that, Zoey gave him a quizzical look.

“The whole building is buzzing about how you singlehandedly debugged that code in like, thirty minutes flat.” The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the lobby.

“Well, it was actually more like forty-five minutes,” she corrected and he let out a small bark of laughter.

“Still, that kind of thing is unprecedented.” He turned to go. “I’ll see you around. And thanks, by the way, for offering to help.”

Zoey smiled. “It’s no problem at all.”

———

By the time Zoey returned from her lunch break, she decided she had done enough hiding out for the day. Besides, Max said he wasn’t mad and wanted to forget about the whole thing anyway. Avoiding him just made it seem like it was some big deal when it didn’t have to be. She was sixteen. She was bound to do something incredibly stupid eventually.

A broad and genuine smile stretched across Max’s face when he noticed Zoey approaching her desk. “Hey, I thought maybe I had scared you away with my endless raving about _Hamilton_ and the force that is Renée Elise Goldsberry.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easy, Richman.” Zoey smirked, relieved to find there was no tension or awkwardness between them. She had spent the weekend and better part of the day needlessly fretting.

Zoey pulled on her headphones and resumed her podcast from earlier, getting lost in the twisted tale of the disappearance and murder of Venus Rose Stewart while effortlessly typing line after line of code.

At 5 o’clock, Zoey packed up her belongings and left with the rest of the team, walking alongside Max.

“Was that your girlfriend earlier?” Zoey blurted out. Then she remembered she had been stowed away all morning so now Max probably thought she was some weird stalker. _Oops._

Max looked slightly uncomfortable. “Not exactly. Autumn is... a barista at the coffee shop I frequent, and when I saw her this morning I guess I kind of asked her to lunch. Figured maybe it was time to put myself back out there.” He shrugged.

Zoey had her suspicions that it wasn’t purely coincidental Max had asked Autumn out so soon after _the incident._ He probably thought Zoey might try something again and suspected he needed a buffer to ward off her advances. She almost scoffed. Zoey wasn’t a person who made the same mistake twice.


	4. Chapter 4

In Zoey’s fourth week at SPRQ Point, her parents stopped by on Monday to pick her up for lunch, which worked out great because that was the only day Autumn was free to meet up with Max. Apart from Mondays, Zoey and Max had resumed eating lunch together, which was what Zoey looked forward to the most. 

As she awaited her parents’ arrival, she straightened up her already perfectly organized desk. What could she say — she liked things tidy. She was so absorbed in her task, she almost didn’t catch Max staring at her with that faraway look in his eyes again.

Every so often, Zoey would feel his gaze fixated on her. When she looked up, their eyes would meet and he’d offer a small, sad smile. Something always seemed to flash quickly in his eyes — Zoey _swore_ it was longing — before he put up his guard again and returned to being her regular friend Max.

Zoey didn’t know what to make of it. But she also knew she had a track record for letting her imagination get the best of her so she tried not to get too wrapped up in attempting to decipher every look and smile Max sent her way.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her parents and eagerly went to greet them, wrapping them both in a hug.

“Wow honey, look at this place!” Her dad exclaimed and Zoey grinned. 

“I know! Right?” Zoey was bubbling with excitement.

“So, which one’s Max?” Her mom asked, a little too loudly. At the mention of his name, Zoey saw Max turn his head in interest.

Zoey led them over to his desk. “Mom, dad... this is Max Richman — the one who saved me from having a nervous breakdown on my first day.” Smiling, Max stood up and shook her parents’ hands.

Maggie looked warmly at Max. “It’s nice to finally put a face to the name. Zoey talks about you all the time.” 

Zoey wanted to die. 

She definitely _did not want_ Max to think she spent all her time thinking, talking, or dreaming about him. Things had been good between them. _Normal._ She didn’t want to make it weird.

“Well, your daughter is absolutely brilliant. She’s a real asset to our team. It will be a huge loss for us when she leaves.” Zoey welcomed the praise. She looked over and her parents were beaming with pride.

“Okay,” Zoey clasped her hands together, “I think we’ve held him up enough. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be late to meet his girlfriend” (Max and Autumn had made it official last week). She steered her parents away from Max so she could introduce them to the rest of the team, her earlier enthusiasm returning in full force.

After making all the necessary introductions and giving them the full tour, Zoey guided her parents to the elevators, chatting excitedly all the way.

———

When Zoey returned from lunch, she noticed Max looked rather... _dejected?_

“Hey um... did something happen with Autumn? You look... morose.”

“No, it’s not Autumn.” Zoey noticed Max was staring at something. She followed his gaze to the picture on her desk. It was her favorite — a candid family snapshot taken during one of their sailing expeditions.

At that moment, Zoey realized she knew nothing about Max’s family. Based on his dispirited expression, she had a sinking feeling she wouldn’t very much like what he had to say about them.

Suddenly, Zoey sprung out of her chair and crossed over to where Max was sitting. “Come with me.”

Max stared at her, unsure.

“Please? It’s important. And I won’t bite, promise.” Her tone was teasing, but she gave him a reassuring smile to let him know she didn’t have a hidden agenda.

Max visibly relaxed and followed her over to the swinging chairs, which were vacant except for them. They sat facing each other, swinging gently.

“So... you’re not close with your family?” Zoey hedged, looking cautiously at Max who stiffened at her words before shooting her a bewildered look. “How do you do that? You seem to _always_ know what I’m thinking or feeling. Sometimes before I even realize it myself.”

What he said was true. Zoey was very tuned into Max.

“I don’t know,” Zoey supplied, “you’re just easy for me to read, I guess.”

He stopped swinging. “Yeah...” he looked at her curiously then, as if he was trying to understand the enigma that was Zoey Clarke. He opened his mouth to speak, but then apparently thought better of it and resumed swinging.

They sat in silence for several long moments.

“To answer your question... no, I’m not close with my family. I would definitely consider us estranged. I haven’t seen them in person since I left home at eighteen.” The look of anguish on his face had Zoey longing to reach out for him, but she knew that would be crossing the line. Any sort of physical touch threatened to propel them into dangerous territory. It’s not that she didn’t trust herself to be that close to him, but she figured it might make him uncomfortable.

She held back and waited for him to continue.

“Um... I still talk to my mom and brother on the phone occasionally, but my dad...” Max paused, trying to heed his emotions. “He won’t even speak to me. The last thing he ever said to me was how I’m the biggest disappointment of his life.” At that, Max let out a bitter laugh. “He hated that I never molded myself into the man he wanted me to be.”

Anger flared up inside Zoey at how his father could possibly say something like that to _Max_. Max, who was so clever and so kind.

Before the anger could overwhelm her, she quickly tamped it down. Max didn’t need her to be angry for him. Max needed someone to tell him just how _off target_ his father was.

“I think the bigger disappointment is his inability to recognize just how truly incredible his son is. You know, I don’t know what your father’s problem is, but there’s not one thing I’d change about you, Richman.”

Max was silent for a long time. He was staring at his hands folded across his lap so she couldn’t analyze and then over-analyze his reaction.

Zoey was afraid she had gone too far, said too much. Her feelings for Max were... _complicated,_ but she thought she had been doing a satisfactory job at keeping them below the surface. Until now, apparently.

He finally looked up and met her eyes. “Thank you,” he said softly. “No one has ever made me feel like I’m...” Max searched for the right word, “... _enough,_ before. Until you, Zoey. You see me for who I really am and honestly, it means so much to me. More than I could even begin to tell you.” He was staring at her so intently, eyes shining, seemingly trying to convey something to Zoey before he suddenly broke eye contact and stood up.

“We should probably try and at least get _some_ work done today before Joan fires me or terminates your internship.”

Zoey flashed a dazzling smile at Max. “Oh, I don’t think that’s likely. I’m pretty sure I’m Joan’s favorite. She practically said so last week at the cereal bar.”

Max raised an eyebrow.

“Well... she said I was the least annoying, anyway.”


	5. Chapter 5

On Thursday, Joan called Zoey into her office.

“So,” Joan began once Zoey was seated, “you’ve officially been at SPRQ Point for a month. Protocol demands I give you an evaluation so here it is — I think you’re doing a great job.”

Zoey let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and eased her grip on the chair.

Joan continued. “How do _you_ think it’s going?”

Zoey paused. “Oh! Um... I really like it here. And I feel like I’m learning a lot.”

“Good, that’s... good.” Joan seemed distracted. She kept looking around, like she was searching for something, or _someone._

There was a knock on the glass.

“Sorry to interrupt, Aunt Joan.”

Zoey craned her neck and was surprised to see a tall, rather attractive, dark-haired guy who looked to be around her age leaning against the doorway.

“Zoey, this my nephew, Tyler. He’s staying with me this summer while his parents are... at a retreat.”

“What she means to say is they’re at a rehab facility,” Tyler clarified.

Zoey’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry.” He waved her off, “Don’t be. Anyway, ready to go to lunch?” He asked his aunt.

“Actually,” Joan glanced at her watch, “I’m due for a video meeting with Danny Michael Davis in two minutes. Zoey, why don’t you go in my place? I’m sure your company would be more enjoyable than mine, anyhow.”

“Um...” Zoey wasn’t sure what to say.

“Let me rephrase that,” Joan said as she got up. “Zoey, you’re going to lunch in my place.” She all but pushed Zoey and Tyler out of her office.

Helplessly, Zoey looked back at Joan, trying to convey with her eyes just how much she didn’t want to eat lunch with a _complete stranger._

All Joan did was wink.

_Was this a set up?_ She shook her head. No. She couldn’t fathom why her boss would even remotely care about her love life. This was just happenstance.

“So,” Tyler broke the silence between them, “do you like tacos?”

Zoey gave two thumbs up. “Love me some tacos.” She cringed. Would it kill her to _just once_ not be so damn awkward?

Tyler chuckled. “Great, I know just the place.”

— — —

The place turned out to be a food truck in the park.

They put in their order and Tyler insisted on paying. “It’s not a true first date if I don’t pay,” he simply said.

Zoey started to panic. “Oh, _is_ this a date? Did Joan say something to you about this? Because I thought — ”

“Relax, Zoey. I was just joking. Unless you want this to be a date?” She couldn’t tell if he was still joking or not. He looked almost... _hopeful?_

“Sorry, I don’t mean to put you on the spot. You seem like the type who needs to make a pro and con list before reaching a decision.” He paused. “Wow, I definitely did not mean for that to sound so harsh. I meant you seem like a person who doesn’t like rushing into things.”

Zoey’s head was spinning. So he wasn’t joking.

“Okay.”

Tyler looked at her, confused. Zoey felt just as confused as he looked.

“I mean, okay, this can be a date. Or like maybe... a pre-date? If it goes well, we could... go on a real date? One where I’m better prepared.”

_What was she even saying?_ He probably regretted asking her out. Not to mention, she knew absolutely nothing about him except he was Joan’s nephew (yikes) and he apparently liked tacos. Oh, and his parents were in rehab. But Zoey wasn’t someone who was ever on any guy’s radar, and she certainly had never been asked out on a date before so she was hard-pressed to seize this opportunity before Tyler had a chance to change his mind.

She glanced over and he had a goofy smile on his face.

“I would be honored to partake in this pre-date with you.”

Zoey smiled nervously. _She could do this._

They grabbed their tacos and scouted the park for an empty bench. They found a shaded one nearby and quickly claimed it.

“So, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” She winced. _Jesus, Zoey, was this a date or an interview?_

Tyler took her awkwardness in stride. “Well, I’m from Sacramento. Seventeen. I’m in a band — not a very good one, it’s mostly just for fun — lead guitar and vocals, though. I’d like to be a math teacher. Um... I have a cat and his name is Sam.” He stopped talking for a moment. “Is that enough or do you want me to keep going?”

“That’s fine. Um... thank you.” _Oh. My. God._ Zoey wondered if it would be better or worse if she just got up and walked away from this disastrous date right now.

“Okay, now I have a question for you.” Tyler said at the exact moment she took a huge bite out of her taco. She waved her hand, gesturing for him to continue.

“Are you some kind of computer mastermind? I mean, you’re sixteen and interning at SPRQ Point. My aunt says you’re just as good as any of the programmers there. Even better than some. Her exact words.” Zoey finished chewing and swallowed. So Joan had been telling Tyler about her.

“Well, I definitely don’t consider myself a mastermind or anything like that. There’s still a lot I don’t know how to do. What else has Joan said about me?” Zoey was extremely curious. This was feeling more and more like a setup after all.

Now it was Tyler’s turn to be embarrassed. “Oh um, not too much. Just that you’re really talented.” Zoey suspected he was withholding information, but chose not to pursue that avenue any further.

Instead she asked, “Am I overstepping if I ask about your parents?” Tyler didn’t seem fazed by her question.

“Nah. I love my parents, I mean obviously, they’re my _parents._ But, it is hard to see what addiction can do to a person. This isn’t their first stint in rehab... they always fall back into old habits. One thing, though, it has taught me I’ll never touch a drug in my life. Seeing them not in charge of their own life... I can’t even fathom that. I like being in control.”

“Yeah,” Zoey replied lamely, not sure how to respond to that. Silence filled the space between them.

“Well,” Tyler stood up, “I should probably get you back before my aunt starts to think I’ve kidnapped you.”

Once they were standing outside the SPRQ Point building, they both looked shyly at each other, unsure how to proceed or how the other person was feeling. Zoey decided to take the initiative. “Well, as far as pre-dates go, that was...” _awkward, not good, I don’t blame you if you never want to see me again..._

“Pretty good, I’d say,” Tyler finished for her, taking her completely by surprise. “Tomorrow is Friday, I’d like to take you on a real date... only if you’re interested, of course.”

“Sure,” Zoey found herself saying before she had a chance to overthink everything.

A brilliant smile stretched across his face. “Great, I’ll pick you up at seven.”  
  
— — —

When Zoey returned to her desk, she had a hard time keeping the smile off her face. Tomorrow, she was going on her _first real date._ She could hardly believe it.

“Where’d you run off to? I missed you at lunch.” Max’s question brought her out of her reverie.

“Oh um, Joan sort of forced me to have lunch with her nephew.” At that, Max’s face fell slightly. “Judging from that huge smile on your face, I assume it went well?”

Zoey felt her smile widen, if that was even possible at this point. “Yeah. We’re actually going on a date tomorrow night. Like a real one.”

“That’s great,” Max said tightly, his tone and expression belying his words. Zoey, however, took no notice.


	6. Chapter 6

Friday after work, Zoey was an absolute wreck. Her excitement about the date had quickly morphed into fear. She was contemplating ways she could believably back out when her mom called up the stairs, announcing her friend, Mo, was here to see her.

A few seconds later, her bedroom door was thrown open and Mo marched inside, arms laden with beauty supplies. “I thought you might be in need of my services.”

“Actually, that won’t be necessary. I think I’m just gonna text Tyler and let him know something came up. Like... maybe I have food poisoning or, I don’t know, I’m on my period and cramping really bad? That could work. I don’t think he’d have any follow up questions.”

Mo was undeterred. “You’re going on this date. Sit down,” he commanded. Zoey obeyed and Mo went to work on applying her makeup.

“Tell me about this boy,” Mo said as he delicately traced her eye with eyeliner. “All you said in your text was that you got asked on a date by your boss’ nephew. I need the prologue, so spill.”

Zoey recounted the events of the previous day, leaving no cringeworthy detail out. “Honestly, I was _so awkward._ I can’t even begin to understand why he wants to see me again. Wait, do you think this is a pity date? It has to be, it’s the only logical explanation... Okay yep, I’m for sure canceling now.” Zoey made a grab for her phone, but Mo snatched it before she could reach it.

“You know what your problem is, Zoey? You think too much.” Zoey let out an indignant huff but said nothing. Mo was not wrong.

Once he had finished her makeup and tamed the mess that was her hair, Zoey started rifling through her closet, trying to find something suitable to wear when a thought occurred to her. “Oh no,” she froze, “people don’t kiss on the first date, right?”

“Some do,” Mo said, sending Zoey into yet another frenzy.

“What do I do if he tries to kiss me? I’ve never kissed anyone before. What if I do it wrong?”

Mo shot her an incredulous look. “What about what happened with you know who?” He was the only person Zoey had confided in about what happened with Max.

“That wasn’t a kiss, Mo, that was a humiliation. This would be a real kiss, where the other person is actually kissing me back.”

“Zoey, let me offer you some advice — get out of your own head, girl! I know that’s asking the impossible, but that frantic little mind of yours isn’t doing you _any_ favors.”

Just then, the doorbell rang. Zoey glanced at the clock... 6:42. “He’s _early!_ ” She hurriedly pulled on the outfit Mo had somehow mysteriously picked out for her and checked herself in the mirror. “Wow, Mo. I actually look... good.”

Mo was affronted. “Did you just say you look _good?_ Anything less than sensational is a blatant disrespect of my talents.” Zoey threw an apologetic look his way. “Sorry, I’m just not used to looking so... put together. Thanks so much for helping me.” Mo waved her off, “Anytime. You know I live for a makeover.”

— — —

After promising her parents he’d have her home by eleven, Tyler led Zoey out to his Lexus. _Of course_ he drove a Lexus.

“Can I ask you something?” Zoey said as he backed out of the driveway.

“Shoot.”

“Why’d you ask me out?”

Tyler sounded genuinely confused as he stole a quick glance at her. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, I mean you were there yesterday. I wasn’t exactly... verbose.”

“You were nervous, I thought it was cute. I think you’re cute in general, by the way.” Zoey felt herself blushing at his words. No guy had ever asked her on a date before and she certainly had never been called _cute_. “Not to mention, you’re obviously very smart, which is a nice change from all the girls I seem to know. Not that there aren’t any smart girls at my school, of course, but there’s just something about you… I don’t know, I guess I just really wanted to see you again.”

The remainder of the drive passed in silence as Zoey reveled in his words and Tyler concentrated on navigating a city he was still familiarizing himself with.

“We’re here.” Tyler cut the engine and Zoey looked around. They were outside a movie theater.

Not exactly an optimal choice for a first date given that it didn’t afford much opportunity for conversation. Then again, after yesterday, maybe Tyler figured she needed to ease into this whole dating thing and actually, a movie was _the perfect choice_ for a socially awkward teenage girl. Unless he was expecting her to make out with him during the movie. Zoey definitely didn’t think she could do that, not when she was still freaking out about a simple kiss.

Her worries ended up being unfounded as Tyler didn’t make a single move, not even to hold her hand, which was fine because her palms remained sweaty no matter how many times she inconspicuously wiped them on her jeans.

After leaving the theater, the two wandered down the sidewalk until Zoey recognized their location and enthusiastically pulled Tyler inside an ice cream shop, proclaiming it would be criminal if she let this date end before he tried the _best damn ice cream of his life._

Laughing, he said, “Well, I’d certainly be a fool to turn that down.”

Once they had their ice cream, Zoey led him out back to the patio where lights were strewn overhead, casting everything in a romantic glow. They sat down at an empty table, Tyler forgoing the seat across from her in favor of the one beside her. His close proximity sent her heart racing and she struggled to form coherent sentences because all she could think about was whether this boy was going to kiss her or not.

All of a sudden, she noticed Tyler looking expectantly at her, waiting for her to respond to whatever he said while she had been otherwise preoccupied with her thoughts.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

“I was just saying that you got a little ice cream… there.” Tyler pointed toward her mouth. “May I?” He asked as he leaned in closer. All Zoey could manage was a nod. She felt her breath catch as his thumb brushed against the corner of her lip, delicately wiping the ice cream off her face. He made no move to turn away and Zoey’s heart skipped a beat. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his. _This was it._ Sure enough, Tyler leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. It was simple and sweet and everything Zoey dreamed her first kiss would be.

It wasn’t until later, when Zoey was back at home, pulling out her journal to meticulously catalogue every detail of the evening, that she had a sudden realization.

She hadn’t thought about Max once. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used in this chapter are:
> 
> “She’s Got A Way“ by Billy Joel  
> “Good Vibrations“ by The Beach Boys

Whatever was happening between her and Tyler, Zoey knew one thing for sure — she did not want it to become a topic of conversation or gossip at work. She had no intention of mentioning anything to anyone about how she was dating Joan’s nephew. 

_God._ She was dating _Joan’s nephew._

As fate would have it, Zoey didn’t need to worry about accidentally revealing her secret.

The large, elaborate bouquet of flowers overtaking her desk gave it away for her.

“Hey, looks like Z Money’s got a boyfriend!” Tobin was the first to comment, which came as a surprise to absolutely no one. Zoey went bright red but remained silent as she sat down at her desk. One good thing — the flowers did a great job at blocking her from view. 

Hidden as she was, that didn’t stop Tobin from making another remark. “That kid must be loaded if he can afford to buy out an entire flower shop! Get it, girl!”

“Shut up, Tobin.” Zoey heard Leif say. She never liked Leif more than she did at that moment.

— — —

About an hour later, Zoey managed to sneak away from her desk undetected. She made a beeline for the cereal bar, in desperate need of some Crunch Berries.

She sensed someone towering over her and knew it was Joan before she even turned around. So much for avoiding her boss and everyone else today.

“Howdy, Joan!” Zoey cringed. She really needed to get an MRI or something to figure out what was wrong with her brain.

“Hey, Zoey.” Joan was smirking. _Oh no._ Zoey would rather listen to a hundred offbeat remarks from Tobin than have this conversation right now.

“So, Tyler seems quite smitten with you.” Joan got straight to the point.

“Yeah, he’s... nice. Um, thanks for orchestrating the whole... thing.” Zoey couldn’t get over how bizarre this situation was. Like in what universe did someone get set up by their _boss?_

“Actually, it was Tyler that asked for my help. I might have mentioned your name once or twice, just run of the mill work stuff, but he wouldn’t stop asking about you. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore so I told him to just stop by already before I ship him back to Sacramento.”

“He wouldn’t stop asking about... about _me?_ ”

“Yes, that is literally what I just said.” Joan was apparently already over this conversation, muttering something about “youths” as she walked away.

_Huh._ So, Zoey was sought-after. This was an unexpected turn of events.

— — —

At the end of the day, Zoey stood at her desk, trying to work out the logistics of how she was supposed to take these flowers home when they were practically as big as she was.

Wordlessly, Max picked up the arrangement and started off toward the elevators. Zoey followed closely behind. “Richman, what would I do without you?” She paused, then added, “thank you.”

Max smiled wryly at her. “Don’t mention it.”

Once outside, Zoey expected Max to hand off the bouquet and leave her to it. Instead, he kept walking until he reached his car and gingerly placed the flowers in the backseat.

“Max... what...?”

“Get in. I’m driving you home.”

Left with no other feasible option, she certainly did not think she  
was capable of walking home with that colossal display, Zoey opened the door and slid into the passenger seat of his Audi. 

“Nice car,” she murmured appreciatively.

“Nice flowers,” he smirked. Zoey blushed and rolled her eyes as he started the car.

“Can I pick the music?”

“Sure, but you’re not touching the radio. All the good stuff is on here.” Max unlocked his phone and handed it over to Zoey who grabbed for it eagerly. She pulled up the music app and began scrolling through his multitude of playlists. In Zoey’s opinion, a playlist could be deeply personal and reveal a lot about someone. She almost felt guilty, like she was invading Max’s privacy.

Her eyes stopped on a playlist titled “Red”. Curious, she hit shuffle.

The opening notes of “She’s Got A Way” started to play and Max flinched so hard, Zoey was afraid he’d crash the car.

_She’s got a way about her  
I don’t know what it is  
But I know that I can’t live without her_

“Oh my god, Max! What happened? Did something run into the road?” Zoey looked around frantically, trying to find the source of what caused Max to react like that.

He let out an unsteady breath. “No, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. The song just took me by surprise, is all.” 

Zoey nodded knowingly. “Mm, I see. These are your love songs,” she said matter-of-factly.

“W-what?” Max stammered. Zoey glanced over and noticed he looked rather pale and his knuckles where white from the death grip he had on the steering wheel.

“You know, the collection of songs for the person you’re crazy about. These remind you of Autumn, right?”

“Yeah. Right, of course. Autumn.” Max seemed rattled, which made sense. These songs were an intimate expression of love for his girlfriend, they definitely were not meant for Zoey’s ears.

“Anyway, I didn’t mean to pry. I’ll find something else.” Zoey went to back out but accidentally hit the Next button and a new song started up. Zoey froze.

_I — I love the colorful clothes she wears  
And the way the sunlight plays upon on her hair  
I hear the sound of a gentle word  
On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air_

_Huh. That’s weird._ Zoey knew this song. Well, obviously a lot of people knew this song — it’s not like The Beach Boys were some obscure band. What made it weird was that she had just told Max last week how this was her favorite song of all time. So, why did he have it on a playlist about Autumn?

Unless it wasn’t a playlist about Autumn. 

The more she thought about it, “Red” was a peculiar title choice for his blonde girlfriend.

_Red._

Zoey subconsciously began twirling her hair, lost in thought before letting out a small gasp as she put the pieces together.

Suddenly, the tension in the car was palpable.

“Max?” Zoey searched his face, trying to read his expression so she could understand what this meant.  
If she looked hard enough, maybe she could find the answer to the question she was too afraid to ask.

Max looked like he wanted to disappear and he refused to meet her scrutinizing gaze. “Zoey, please, just... don’t ask me about this.” Max didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t need to. Zoey got her answer.

Silence filled the space between them, both too afraid to say anything that might propel them into dangerous territory.

Zoey had become somewhat of an expert at burying her feelings for Max. Honestly, it was pretty easy to do when she was under the impression Max felt nothing for her beyond friendship. But now? How was she supposed to feel after discovering he had a whole playlist dedicated to her?

The tense silence was broken a few minutes later when Max’s phone started buzzing in Zoey’s hand. She stared dumbly at it, wondering why she still had it in her possession. It took a second for her brain to recognize the name flashing across the screen.

“Oh, here. It’s Autumn.” Zoey handed the phone over to Max.

“Hey,” Max said into the phone. “Yeah, I’m still coming over, I just had to give someone from work a ride home.” Max went silent for a moment. “Um yeah, actually it is Zoey...”

Zoey couldn’t make out Autumn’s muffled response, but whatever she said had Max looking even _more_ uncomfortable, which Zoey hadn’t thought was possible given the circumstances.

“It’s not like that... ok, I’ll see you soon. Bye.” Max hung up the phone and fixed his attention on the road, his eyes never wavering until he was parked in her driveway.

Taking a deep breath, he chanced a look over at Zoey. “Listen... about —“

Zoey could already tell where this was going. Her mind was reeling but her voice was calm as she interrupted him. “Don’t worry, Richman. We can forget this ever happened, too.”


	8. Chapter 8

If Zoey knew one thing, without a doubt, it was this — she and Max were friends above anything else that was or wasn’t happening between them. So, it was easy for her to forget about that pivotal car ride in order to maintain the status quo.

Well, it was easy for her to pretend to forget about it, anyway. That’s what she and Max were, after all — great pretenders.

Now, it was three weeks later, a Tuesday, and Zoey found herself at the Golden Gate Grind before work. For the first time since starting at SPRQ Point, she woke up late and missed out on morning coffee with her parents. 

Desperate for caffeine, but not desperate enough to choke down the vile stuff they had the audacity to serve at work, Zoey darted into the nearest coffee shop. She immediately recognized the logo because it was the same one that was always stamped on Max’s coffee.

Walking up the counter, inexplicable nerves overtook Zoey as she spotted Autumn behind the register. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen Autumn at SPRQ Point numerous times over the past few weeks, in fact, she had seen her just yesterday. But this was the first time Zoey was occupying the same space as Autumn without Max or a computer to hide behind.

“Hi, Zoey.” Autumn gave her a tight smile. “I’m so happy you stopped in. I’ve actually been wanting to speak with you, alone.”

_Oh no._ A pit began to form in Zoey’s stomach.

In a futile attempt, Zoey glanced behind her, hoping to see a line of customers out the door. Surely, Autumn didn’t have time for this _right now._ Her heart sank when there wasn’t a patron in sight.

_Of course._

Where was the morning rush? Didn’t people need their overpriced coffee to function at 8:45 in the morning? Zoey cursed them all, but mostly she cursed her own existence as Autumn gestured for her to sit at a nearby table.

“Here’s the thing, Zoey, I like you, I really do. I’m just worried about the path you’re on.”

_What?_

“Max told me you kissed him. And I’m not mad, since it happened before we got together. That’s not what this is about.”

Zoey wondered if anyone had ever died from embarrassment before. If not, maybe she would be the first.

“It’s just... well you know Max, he’d never want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’m just afraid he’s giving you the wrong impression on how he feels about you and that you might try something again.”

“I-I’m not... I mean I wouldn’t... Max is my friend. I’d never do anything to jeopardize that.” What Zoey said was true, and she hoped her earnest tone would be enough to convince Autumn of that fact.

Seemingly satisfied with her answer, Autumn gave her an authentic smile. “I’m glad we finally had this talk.”

_Finally?_ Zoey was curious to know just how long Autumn had been worried about her trying to make a move on Max.

Before she had a chance to ask, a crowd of people swarmed the coffee shop. Zoey almost laughed out loud. Where were these people when she needed them a minute ago?

Autumn stood up. “Well, those lattes aren’t going to make themselves. See you, Zoey.” She gave a small wave before tightening her apron and heading back behind the counter.

Stunned, Zoey sat there for a few moments, trying to make sense of _what the hell_ just happened. Half in a daze, she got up and made for the door.

Zoey never did get her coffee.

— — —

When Zoey arrived at her desk, Max was already hard at work, a look of deep concentration etched on his face, oblivious to the world around him.

She didn’t have the heart to interrupt him, so instead, she just stared. And waited.

And then waited some more.

“Why did you tell Autumn that we kissed?” Zoey loudly asked once Max finally looked up after she had been staring at him for several minutes.

Max blanched. Cautiously, he surveyed the area to see if anyone had overheard what she said. “Hey, do you maybe want to keep your voice down?”

Zoey was unfazed, looking at him expectantly.

“We didn’t kiss. _You_ kissed _me._ ” Zoey threw her head back and let out a groan of frustration. Max was so clearly missing the point.

“You said you wanted to forget it ever happened. Telling your girlfriend doesn’t seem like you’re forgetting about it.” She fixed him with a pointed glare.

Max shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Autumn might have asked if there was anything going on between us. And I might have mentioned the kiss.”

Zoey was beyond baffled. “Why would she think there’s anything going on?” Sure, they ate lunch together pretty much everyday, but it’s not like they hung out outside of work or even texted each other. Their relationship only existed within the confines of their workplace.

Now, Max looked extremely uncomfortable. Zoey almost felt bad for him. _Almost._ “Listen, can we talk about this later? Somewhere more private?” Zoey nodded her agreement. “Lunch, then.”

— — —

As luck would have it — for Max, anyway — Tyler decided to stop by and surprise Zoey for lunch.

She stole a quick glance over at Max. The look of relief on his face was almost comical. Normally, a scowl permanently graced his features whenever Tyler showed up at SPRQ Point, which is something Zoey still had yet to unpack. But now, she wouldn’t be surprised if Max started kissing the ground at his feet.

“Ready to go?” Tyler asked, reaching for her hand.

“Just... one sec,” Zoey held up a finger to Tyler before crossing over to Max’s desk and leaning down so only he could hear, “this is far from over, Richman.” She gave him a small smirk before turning on her heel and rejoining Tyler, who promptly wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders.

— — —

The end of the work day was near and Zoey was gearing up to put her master plan into action. She knew exactly how she was going to corner Max so they could finish their conversation from this morning.

But then something weird happened.

“Is that... _a squirrel?_ ” Zoey was perplexed as she noticed something small darting around the bullpen.

“It’s not a squirrel, it’s a ferret!” Tobin jumped up in a panic. “And she escaped!”

Zoey watched as Tobin _literally hurdled_ a desk trying to catch his runaway ferret. “Where did she go? Does anyone have eyes on her?!”

“It looks like she’s climbing the Nest,” Glenn helpfully pointed out.

“NOOO!! She’s afraid of heights! Leif? LEIF!! Get over here! Let me climb on your shoulders!” Tobin was waving his arms, wildly gesturing for Leif to come to his aide.

Watching Tobin trying to balance on Leif was definitely not how Zoey expected this day to go, but she wasn’t mad about it.

Applause erupted when Tobin made a successful grab for his ferret. 

“Queen Bey, we’ve talked about this.” Zoey heard Tobin say as he sat back down at his desk, tucking the ferret into his backpack, like nothing out of the ordinary had even happened.

After all the excitement subsided, Zoey remembered her plan and turned her attention to Max, but his desk was already empty.

_Coward._


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jane Levy deserved an Emmy nomination.

That Saturday was the annual SPRQ Point company picnic.

Zoey arrived, with Tyler by her side, ready to stuff her face and participate in exactly zero physical activities. She was a competitive person, sure, when it involved computers or board games. But anything that involved hand-eye coordination while simultaneously navigating around other people? No thank you. She was enough of a disaster just walking on her own two feet.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, so too, was Zoey to Max. She swore she wasn’t intentionally seeking him out, but she immediately spotted him talking with Simon over by the taco bar, nonetheless.

After Max had ditched out of work Tuesday so he could avoid explaining why Autumn thought there was something going on between them, Zoey lost the nerve to bring it up again. Ultimately, she decided to let the whole matter go and keep her attention focused on her sorta, kinda, maybe boyfriend. They hadn’t made it official, but it seemed to Zoey they were headed in that direction.

Speaking of Tyler, he had followed her gaze to Max and then promptly steered her in the opposite direction. Which was fine, because that’s where the barbecue was.

She loaded a plate with brisket, ribs, coleslaw, and more brisket before finding a nice shady spot on the grass to observe the chaos around them. 

Joan and Ava Price were taking part in a three-legged race and Susan from HR looked like she was crushing it in a game of flag football. Who would have thought?

Zoey leaned against Tyler and let out a contented sigh. “This is... pretty amazing. I could sit here and eat this brisket literally all day.”

At that, Tyler let out a soft chuckle and pressed a kiss into her hair. “I think you’re pretty amazing.” Zoey beamed up at him, heart thrumming in her chest. She was just about to grab his face and pull him down for a kiss when their moment was interrupted by Tobin. _Of course it was Tobin._

“Zo-dog, we need a sixth player for volleyball. You in?” He looked at her hopefully, hands clasped.

“Oh, uh... no. I don’t do sports.”

“Come on, Zoey! We need you.” This time it was Simon attempting to reel her in. She felt the panic rising as Leif, Max, and Glenn were all staring at her with such hopeful expressions, too.

Vehemently, she shook her head.

“Tyler, you’re athletically inclined, why don’t you play instead?” She gave him the most pitiful look she could muster. If he truly cared about her, he would save her from what was bound to be pure humiliation.

“You know I can’t say no to you,” he winked at her before jumping up and joining the rest of the guys.

_Crisis averted._

Zoey let out a sigh of relief and settled in to watch the game. And admire the view. 

And what a view it was.

Admittedly, she might have been admiring the _wrong_ view. Her gaze may have drifted towards Max a few too many times. And maybe her gaze lingered more than it drifted.

But, it’s not her fault she was just now discovering that Max was secret buff. His usual work sweaters and button-ups were not doing him _any_ favors. She couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him and the way his neon yellow shirt clung to his body.

_Whew._

Zoey wondered if they had any of those large water coolers nearby in case she needed to dump one over her head.

“Hey Zoey, you alright? You’re looking a little flushed.” _Damn Leif and his astute observations._

“Oh, no, I’m good. I guess I’m just a little...” her eyes unwittingly trailed to Max, “...thirsty.” She sprung up. “Um, be right back!” She raced off to find something that could _appropriately_ quench her thirst.

When Zoey returned a short while later, it was to the five guys huddled around Glenn, who was covering his left eye with a grimace on his face. “You guys can stop hovering, I’m fine. Everything is just a little blurry.”

Concerned, Zoey walked over. “What happened?”

Max turned to her. “Leif went to spike the ball, but his aim sucks. He nailed Glenn in the face.” She glanced over at Leif, who was shamefaced. “Anyway, now we need someone to take his place.”

Zoey felt the dread creep up on her, magnified tenfold when Tyler smiled down at her. “Looks like you’re playing after all, babe.”

“But... I-I can’t.”

“Please, Zo?” Max implored, his eyes pleading. Zoey was a sucker for Max and those damn eyes.

“Fine!” Zoey held up her hands in mock surrender. “But if anyone ends up in the hospital, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She begrudgingly took her place on the makeshift volleyball court.

“Honestly, I’m more worried about Leif sending someone to the hospital at this point,” Simon joked, which caused Leif to scowl.

— — —

The game went about as badly as she anticipated.

The other team very quickly and very accurately assessed that she was their weakest player. The ball was constantly hurtled in her direction, where it either slammed into the ground or, by some fluke Zoey managed to make contact, was sent flying somewhere way off to the side. Basically, it was her worst nightmare.

Zoey _wished_ Leif would strike her in the face with the ball and take her out of her misery. 

Of course, she could never be that lucky.

The other team served again, the ball on a trajectory straight toward Zoey. She closed her eyes and braced for impact. And maybe closing her eyes wasn’t the _smartest_ idea when a ball was flying at her, but it’s what she did all the same. She instinctively swung her arms, hoping for the best, and was surprised when she connected with the ball.

She heard cheering and it sounded like it was coming from her team. _What just happened?_ She opened her eyes and glanced around. Apparently, she had somehow managed to get the ball over the net, or at least hit it to another player who was able to get it over the net. Either way, it seemed like her team had finally scored a point.

The joy around her was infectious and she felt a wave of exhilaration crash over her. She triumphantly threw her hands in the air and jumped straight into...

Max’s arms. 

Which was weird, because she never considered herself the type of girl to jump into _anyone’s_ arms, let alone the arms of someone who was so completely _off-limits._

But Max lifted her effortlessly and spun her around, causing Zoey to laugh freely. She thrilled at the warmth of his embrace and the way he was smiling at her like she was the _goddamn sun._

After spending the better part of two months carefully crafting her words and concealing her feelings and always, _always_ keeping Max a safe distance away, it felt good to finally _let go._ Zoey wanted to live in that moment forever.

But, as it does, reality seeped back in.

They both seemed to realize their compromising position at the same time. Max abruptly released his hold on her, as if he’d been burned, which had Zoey fumbling to regain her footing, clutching onto Max like a lifeline. Once she found her balance, she released her grip and took a step back, letting out a shaky breath.

Tobin and Leif didn’t act like anything was amiss, because they knew Zoey and Max were practically best friends at this point. Simon, however, noticed something about the whole situation was rather odd and gave them an appraising look. And Tyler, well, he looked rightfully confused and slightly pissed.

Before Zoey could think of anything to say, Tobin was enthusiastically clapping his hands. “Yes, Zoey! More of that!”

And the game resumed.

— — —

Later, when Tyler was driving her home, she anxiously waited for him to ask her about it, to ask why she literally _jumped into another man’s arms._

But then, they were almost to her house and he still hadn’t broached the subject. Zoey thought about following his lead, but then she remembered how confused he had looked, and maybe she did owe him an explanation, after all.

“Um, about what happened earlier...” She trailed off, not entirely sure how to justify what happened when she wasn’t quite sure herself.

Tyler’s face gave nothing away as he stole a quick glance in her direction. “I guess I just didn’t realize you and Max were so... close.” If there was any hint of accusation in his tone, Zoey didn’t pick up on it.

“Well, I mean... we _are_ friends,” she replied, trying not to sound too defensive because that would indicate she had something to hide, which she _totally didn’t._

“Yeah, but you two looked awfully cozy for _just friends_.” 

Zoey paused for a beat, then said, “Tyler, I swear, there is _nothing_ between me and Max.”

Well, more like _nothing would ever happen_ between me and Max, if she was being completely honest with herself. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she knew she still had a huge, stupid crush on him.

For a long time, Tyler didn’t say anything and Zoey feared she had ruined things with the one person she liked that actually liked her back. But then he grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I know. Sorry... I guess I got a little jealous thinking someone was after my girl,” he gave a sly smile on those last words, which sent her heart racing.

“Oh,” she blushed, “I didn’t know that’s what I was. I mean, not for sure. We’ve never really talked about... that. Or like, you know —“ Thankfully, Tyler cut off her nervous rambling. “Zoey, of course you’re my girl.”


	10. Chapter 10

August.

Under normal circumstances, Zoey eagerly awaited the arrival of August. Summer was winding down which meant school was right around the corner. Surrounded by books, computers, and a meticulously organized planner — that’s where Zoey thrived.

But, these weren’t normal circumstances. August now signified she was in her last month at SPRQ Point. It also meant her time with Tyler was dwindling. Soon, he’d be back home — not that Sacramento was _that far away_ , but far enough — and she still wasn’t entirely sure where they stood as far as their relationship was concerned. He had called her his girl, but that didn’t mean she was his girlfriend. Or did it? She really should have asked for clarification.

And then of course, there was Max.

Speaking of which... “Hey Tobin, have you seen Max? He sent me a file to look over, but I can’t make sense of it.”

“I think he mentioned something about the meditation room? You could try there.”

Zoey gave Tobin a thumbs up, grabbed her tablet, and headed for the meditation room. She swung open the door, but stopped in her tracks when she realized Simon and Max were in the middle of a conversation, their backs turned. They made no indication they heard her come in at all. She bit her lip and rocked on her feet, trying to decide the best course of action. She didn’t want to be rude and interrupt, but the SPRQ Watch 2 was set to debut later in the month and they _were_ pressed for time. She definitely did not want to face the wrath of Joan.

“Max, man, what are you doing with that girl? She’s too young for you.”

_Wait, what?_ Zoey was confused. She was sure Autumn was at least twenty-one. Her and Max often went out for drinks after work. She certainly didn’t think being two years younger was that big of a deal.

“Listen, I swear it’s not like that.”

Simon sounded unconvinced. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. Pretty sure everyone has. If Susan from HR got wind of this...” Simon trailed off.

Zoey noted how Max’s back tensed up and she wondered why Simon thought Susan from HR would get involved in an employee’s personal affairs. It’s not like Autumn even worked at SPRQ Point.

“Simon, there is _nothing_ happening between the two of us,” Max said emphatically.

“Right, well then explain what happened at the picnic because I do have eyes, you know. And the way you two looked at each other, it was like...you were the only two people in the world.”

This conversation was getting weirder by the second because as much as Zoey wracked her brain, she couldn’t remember seeing Autumn at the picnic at all.

“That was...I don’t know what that was.”

“God, Max! Will you stop lying to yourself? It’s obvious you’re falling for that girl, hard. And I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go after that in a few years...but right now...I don’t think you need me to tell you how wrong that would be.”

“Don’t you think I already know that?” Max snapped. “Do you think I’m okay with the fact that the coolest person I know, who actually truly _gets me_ , is only sixteen?”

Oh.

_Oh._

So she wasn’t crazy. All the looks, the smiles, the _playlist_. It did mean something. It meant everything, apparently.

“Being around her...god, it nearly _kills me_. Every single day. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted but then...there’s this insurmountable obstacle in the way. Simon, I know she’s out of bounds and I’m not that guy.”

Zoey sensed the conversation was winding down and realized she needed to _get the hell out of there_ before she got herself into an extremely awkward situation.

“Good...but if she was twenty-one?”

Slowly, Zoey crept backward, cautiously bringing the door with her. Right before it closed, she heard Max’s answer.

“In a split second.”

— — —

Needing a moment alone to process what she just overheard, Zoey ducked into the women’s restroom. Standing in front of the mirror, hands braced on the counter, Zoey studied her reflection before letting out a small laugh, “I’m not crazy.” Her laugh quickly turned into a gasp when she heard the telltale sign of a toilet flushing. Seconds later, Joan stepped out and joined her at the sink.

“Oh, I don’t know about. I think talking to yourself in the mirror might make you a teensy bit crazy,” she smirked at Zoey. “But I mean, have you met Leif? Or Tobin? Don’t get me started on Glenn. You have to be crazy to work here.” Joan paused, considering something. “I hope one day you do. After you graduate from college. I’m telling you now, there’ll be a spot for you. If not, I’ll fire Glenn. I would _love_ to fire Glenn.”

“Um...thanks?” was the great reply Zoey came up with. She certainly hoped she wouldn’t be the reason _anyone_ lost their job, not even poor Glenn.

— — —

By the time Zoey emerged from the restroom, Max was back at his desk, brow furrowed and fist clenched tightly around his stress ball. She fleetingly thought maybe she should give him some space, but she couldn’t quite quell the urge to check on him. He was still her friend, after all.

“Max, you okay? You seem...tense.”

He started at the sound of her voice before looking up and running his free hand through his hair. The pained expression on his face was almost too much for Zoey to bear.

“Yeah, I’m just trying to work through some...stuff.” Thanks to her eavesdropping, Zoey now suspected that ‘stuff’ might be his feelings for her and not the daunting task of programming the newest SPRQ Watch.

“Anything I can do to help?”

He gave her a wry smile. “No, I don’t think so. I appreciate the offer, though.”

“Right,” Zoey wrung her hands together, “well then maybe you can help me understand the file you sent for the SPRQ Watch.”

Max seemed to perk up at that. “Oh, that’s not for the watch. It’s actually a side project I’ve been working on for a new app idea. I was hoping you could help me with it. If you want to, of course. I know things are a little crazy here since we have” — he glanced at the giant screen near the Nest displaying a countdown — “26 days, 5 hours, and 39 minutes until the launch party for the SPRQ Watch 2.”

Zoey flashed a brilliant smile. “I’d love to help.”

— — —

“Okay Zoldilocks, what’s the big emergency?” Mo demanded once Zoey handed him a cup of earl grey tea. The two sat facing each other on her bed and Zoey had a huge, goofy grin on her face. “Mo, I’m not crazy. He wants me.”

“I should hope so. He’s been monopolizing all your free time for the past month. I was shocked you could even squeeze me in tonight.”

“No, not Tyler. _Max_ ,” Zoey emphasized.

“Oh, this just got interesting. Do tell.” Mo settled in to get more comfortable as Zoey told him about the conversation she overheard between Simon and Max.

“But, he can’t know that I know or else that would just make things weird.”

“Because things have been so normal until now,” Mo deadpanned. Zoey glared at him over the rim of her mug as she took a sip of tea.

“So, what happens now?” Mo asked. Zoey shrugged, “Nothing. I mean, I really like Tyler and it’s not like I can even be with Max anyhow. It’s just nice to know it wasn’t all in my head, you know?”

“I guess.”

Zoey decided to shift the conversation to a more pressing issue. “Anyway, there’s gonna be this spectacular launch party on the 29th for the new SPRQ Watch and I was wondering if you’d be my plus one? Since Tyler is Joan’s nephew, he’s already going to be there and I’d like to try and make up for being such a lousy friend lately,” Zoey clasped her hands together, “please say you’ll go.”

Mo was silent a moment before cracking a smile, “I’ll have us both looking so damn good, jaws will be dropped!”


	11. Chapter 11

There were seventeen days left until the launch party, which meant Zoey had only sixteen days until the final day of her internship at SPRQ Point. 

Zoey’s relationship with Tyler was going extraordinarily well, or at least _she_ thought so. She wasn’t a mind reader, but Tyler definitely seemed to be into it, into _her._

She was slightly less awkward around him now, still not quite used to being the focus of a guy’s attention, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he had told her on more than one occasion that he found her bashfulness endearing. So, there was that.

Her parents seemed to like him enough, although Zoey sometimes got the impression they were withholding their true opinions about him. Nevertheless, they always extended an invitation for Tyler to join them for Sunday night dinner.

Add in a few heavy makeout sessions here and there, and Zoey thought her first venture into the world of dating was a definite success.

She was blissfully wrapped up in her thoughts when she felt someone’s eyes burning into her. She knew it was Max before she even looked up. However, the quizzical expression on his face caught her off guard.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Zoey picked up her tablet and used the screen to check herself out. When she couldn’t spot anything out of the ordinary, she glanced back over at Max.

“No,” Max said, “your hair...it’s different.”

“Oh! Yeah, I straightened it. Tyler’s taking me to lunch today and he mentioned the other day how he thought it might look nice like this. Figured I’d surprise him,” she shrugged, feeling giddy over the prospect of seeing his reaction in a few short hours.

“Do you do everything he tells you to?”

And just like that, her good mood was ruined.

“He didn’t _tell me_ to do anything,” Zoey said, getting defensive. 

“Right,” he scoffed.

“What’s your problem, Richman?” Zoey couldn’t understand where Max got off thinking he knew _anything_ that was going on between her and Tyler.

“The problem isn’t me,” he snapped.

Looking around, Zoey realized they were attracting the attention of the other programmers. Not wanting her personal affairs to be public consumption, she shot out of her chair, stalked toward Max’s desk, growling “come with me” as she passed by.

She headed in the direction of the coffee bar, where no one ever seemed to congregate. She had a hard time believing a place like _SPRQ Point_ would have such revolting coffee — filled as it was with self-proclaimed coffee connoisseurs — but she conceded that even a fancy tech company wasn’t immune to the trope of horrendous coffee in the workplace.

“Seriously, Max, what is with you today?” Zoey huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and giving Max a pointed stare as he walked up to her.

“I just...” Max began, “what do you _really_ know about this guy?”

Zoey snorted, “A whole lot more than you, that’s for sure. You’ve said like two words total to him.”

“That’s...accurate. But there’s something... _off_...about him, Zoey. And the way you act around him, fawning over him like he’s the greatest person to walk the earth. _Changing yourself_ for him,” he gestured toward her hair. “You’re selling yourself short.”

“First off, I’m not _changing myself_ for him. I literally straightened my hair _one_ time, plenty of girls change up their hairstyle _every single day_. And I made the choice of my own volition, he’s never once tried to dictate a single aspect of my life. Not that it’s any of your business, anyway.” Zoey was heated. “And I don’t fawn over him, I just happen to like him a lot and he makes me happy. Why can’t _you_ be happy for me? It’s not like I go around making comments on your relationship with Autumn.”

“I just care about you and I don’t want to see you get hurt,” his voice was tight as he tore his eyes from her piercing gaze.

“Yeah, well, I think I can take care of myself. I’m not the stupid little kid you seem to think I am.”

“That’s not...” he paused, raking his finger through his hair, frustrated, “Zoey, I’ve never thought that.”

Zoey was about to respond when Joan’s voice resonated through the bullpen, “Everyone has exactly two seconds to be on these stairs before they’re fired!”

— — —

Later, after the rest of the team had gone home, Zoey and Max relocated to the swinging chairs and were both hyper-focused on the tablets before them.

Working in companionable silence, it was like their earlier confrontation had never even occurred.

“Hey, I’m sending you the pattern file now,” Zoey murmured without looking up.

“Is there anything you need from me?” Max asked in reference to the project they were working on for his app idea.

“Maybe _don’t_ interject your unsolicited opinions about my relationship in the future,” Zoey said. Okay maybe their spat wasn’t _entirely_ forgotten, however, unlike earlier, this time her tone was teasing.

Max was abashed as he responded. “Got it. Heard and understood.”

The two went back to work on their respective sections as the hours slipped by.

“Hey Zo, it’s getting pretty late,” Max’s voice cut through the stillness, breaking her out of her state of intense concentration. She glanced at the time and felt a sense of dread wash over her.

She had informed her parents she would be working late, but she hadn’t meant it would be _this late_ , it was nearly ten o’clock. She sent a quick text letting her dad know she was on her way home before shoving her tablet in her bag and standing up. Zoey stretched, trying to loosen the muscles that were stiff from her prolonged stint of being scrunched up inside the chair.

Max followed suit and soon the two friends were headed for the elevator, the only sound being the echoing of their footsteps.

“It’s late, let me take you home,” Max said once they were outside. Nodding her acceptance of his offer, she walked with him to his car and got inside.

This time, Zoey didn’t ask if she could pick out the music, opting instead to stare out the window, pretending like the same scenery she saw _every single day_ was just so _fascinating._

Soon, the quiet was stifling. Which was strange, because they had just spent the better part of five hours together in near silence without a hitch. But the memory of their last car ride weighed heavily on her mind and Zoey wondered if Max was thinking about that, too.

After a few minutes, Zoey couldn’t take it anymore. “So um,” she started, “Autumn hasn’t been around SPRQ Point lately, did her hours get changed at work?”

Max hesitated a moment before responding. “Actually, we broke up awhile ago, before the picnic. Autumn and I...we weren’t right.”

“Why?” Zoey asked, studying his profile.

They were at a red light, which gave Max the opportunity to meet her gaze head on. “You know exactly why.” It came out as a whisper, but Zoey had never heard anything so deafening.

Because he was right, she _did_ know exactly why, even if they were both too afraid to talk about it directly. Zoey had her suspicions in the beginning that Max had only asked Autumn out to put space between. And then, of course, she had overheard his conversation with Simon.

“Yeah...” she said softly and went back to staring out the window.

— — —

Max pulled into her driveway, putting the car in park and Zoey _knew_ she should get out before she did something stupid like reveal the fact that she was aware of how he truly felt about her. Instead, she remained glued to her seat.

“Zoey...there’s something I think you should know,” he paused, “the thing is-“

There was a tap on the window. 

Zoey watched as Max rolled down the window and her dad’s face came into view.

“Hey there, Max! It’s great to see you again.”

“It’s um...good to see you, too, Mr. Clarke,” Max said nervously.

“Please, call me Mitch. If you’re not in a hurry, I’d love for you to step inside a moment.” Zoey wondered what her dad was up to, but had a sinking feeling it couldn’t be anything good. The terrified look on Max’s face disclosed they were on the same page.

Once inside, Zoey watched as Max turned to face her dad, apprehension written all over his face. “Mr. Clarke...” he began, but stopped as her dad raised an expectant eyebrow at him. “Sorry...Mitch, I just wanted to apologize for keeping Zoey at work so late. We must have lost track of time but I promise you, it won’t happen again.”

Her dad waved him off. “Oh, don’t worry about that. Zoey has been keeping us well-informed about your side project. In fact, she’s talked of very little else the past week. Her mom and I know how important this is to her. Actually, we wanted to thank you for taking such good care of our girl.” 

He handed Max an envelope, who opened it to reveal two tickets to _Spring Awakening._

“Zoey mentioned your love for musical theater. Maggie and I got four tickets from a client last week and we gave two to David. We’re not much into musicals ourselves and we wanted them to go to someone who would really enjoy it. So, there you go.”

Well, this certainly wasn’t how Zoey expected the conversation to go.

Max’s voice was thick with emotion as he said, “Thank you, Mitch. This is incredibly kind of you. I really appreciate it.” 

“You’re welcome. You’re a good man, Max.” Her dad clapped Max on the shoulder and retreated into the kitchen.

The pair stood there a moment before Max said, “I think your dad has shown me more kindness in the two brief encounters we’ve had than my father has my entire life.” He gave a wry smile. “Anyway, I should get going.” He turned to leave but something caught his eye. “Cute picture,” he smirked as he spotted a particularly embarrassing photo of her.

Zoey scowled and held the front door open. “Get out of my house, Richman.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this universe, _Spring Awakening_ is currently playing in San Francisco because I love it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this chapter is suuuuper short because I just needed Zoey and Max to have a conversation to set some things up for the launch party where _shit hits the fan_.
> 
> Edited to add: who else saw Jane’s insta comment about heading back to Canada in two weeks to start prepping for season 2? Ugh I love this show 💕

By some unexpected turn of events, the following Saturday, Zoey found herself standing outside the Curran Theatre with her brother, his friend, Kyle, and Max.

“Hey David, why didn’t you invite your girlfriend to come? No offense, Kyle.”

“Emily hates musical theater. She actually thinks I’m at a sports game.”

Zoey couldn’t stop the laugh that came bursting out of her, not that she tried. “A _sports_ game? Please tell me you didn’t tell Emily you were going to a _sports_ game. You couldn’t have picked one, like...oh...I don’t know, baseball? Since it’s summer.”

David glared at her. “Shut up, Zoey. Honestly, Max, I don’t understand how you actually _want_ be around her every day.”

Max was smiling, no doubt amused by the antics of the two siblings. “If you met the other coders, you’d understand. She’s by far the most normal of the bunch.”

“Oh god,” David placed his hand over his heart in a dramatic show, “I feel so sorry for you if you consider my sister to be normal.”

Zoey smacked David in the back of the head.

“Well, to be fair, I did say she was the _most normal_ ,” Max teased.

Zoey contemplated smacking him, too.

— — —

“What’s this about, anyway?” Zoey asked Max once they had settled in their seats, which were near the stage and offered an exceptional view. This was her first time inside a theater and she had to admit, she was impressed. David and Kyle had went in search of provisions for the group.

“I’m not going to spoil the show for you, Zoey.”

“Fine,” she huffed, giving the playbill a quick once over before setting it aside. She, like her parents, wasn’t particularly fond of musicals or plays. But when Max had asked if she would accompany him, since Simon was out of town for the weekend and he no longer had a girlfriend, Zoey reluctantly agreed. Well, maybe not quite _so_ reluctantly. Her days with Max were numbered and she was scrambling for any reason to spend more time with him before he was out of her life for good. She knew she was probably setting herself up for even greater heartache, but she couldn’t seem to resist.

“I’m surprised Tyler didn’t have a problem with you coming with me tonight.” Zoey felt an inkling of guilt at Max’s words and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Well, _technically speaking_ , he might be under the impression that it’s just me and David,” Zoey answered, causing Max to raise an eyebrow at her. “Okay, you can wipe that look of disapproval and judgement off your face. It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong or salacious. Besides, he’s back in Sacramento for the weekend.”

“Wasn’t he there last weekend too?” 

“I know having a point isn’t your forte, but...” she trailed off, waiting for him to make his point.

“My point is, what’s he doing in Sacramento?” 

Zoey shrugged. “I don’t know, I didn’t ask.”

“Why not?” Apparently Max felt like playing twenty questions today.

“Well, I mean, he _does_ live there. And I’m not the kind of girl who needs to know exactly what her boyfriend is doing every second of every day. I just assume he’s visiting his parents or something. I don’t know how those facilities work.” 

Truth be told, Tyler _had_ been pretty secretive about the whole ordeal, but Zoey wasn’t sure how to ask him about it without feeling like she was being one of those prying girlfriends.

“Oh, I hadn’t realized you two made it official.”

Zoey’s face went red. “I mean, we haven’t... _yet_. But I’m sure it’s coming. Which reminds me...if I ask something of you, will you do it?”

“Depends on what it is. There’s a lot I would do for you, Zoey Clarke, but I draw the line at face tattoos.” He turned to her, the most serious expression on his face, “I just don’t think I could pull it off.”

The two stared at each other a moment before breaking out into simultaneous laughter.

“Anyway,” Zoey said once their laughter had subsided, “what I wanted to say is that Tyler’s coming to the launch party next weekend...promise me you’ll be nice? You both mean so much to me and I just want you to get along. Honestly, if you gave him a chance, I bet you’d really like him.”

Max looked doubtful about the last part, but then he was smiling. “I promise I’ll be nice.”

Zoey beamed. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Zo.”

— — —

When the performance was over and the four were leaving the theater, Max asked Zoey for her verdict.

“Not to make light of what we just watched, but the guy who played Georg was _totally hot._ ” **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Skylar Astin played Georg in the original Broadway cast lol


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the shit show.

Mo had kept his promise.

As Zoey descended the stairs to where her parents were eagerly waiting, like she off to prom or she was a debutante making her formal debut, she watched as their faces lit up the moment she came into view.

Zoey was draped in a floor length emerald gown made of satin with the straps crossed in back. Her hair was pulled back into a simple but elegant updo, with soft curls framing her face and her makeup was tastefully done.

When she reached the landing, her dad had tears in his eyes as he reached for her hands, taking them in his own. “Sweetheart, you look so beautiful.”

Zoey couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. “You’re my dad, you have to say that.”

“That doesn’t mean it isn’t true,” he gave her hands a squeeze before letting go. “And Mo! Wow! You look incredible. Let’s head into the backyard for some pictures.”

— — —

When the two arrived at SPRQ Point for the launch party, Zoey was glad she had opted for the floor length dress because this was definitely an extravagant affair. The entire fourth floor had been transformed to the point where it was hardly recognizable.

Zoey tried not to think about how this would be the last time she stepped foot inside this building. She remembered how nervous she had been on that first day three months ago — worried that she wouldn’t be taken seriously or these guys would be like the ones in her college classes who basically resented her existence.

But, that wasn’t the case at all. She was welcomed with open arms and her contributions were valued and celebrated. It had been the best summer of her life and Zoey finally felt like she had found her niche in the world. And now, she had to leave this place behind.

The very first person they came across was Tobin, who did a double take when he saw her. “Damn, Zoey! I didn’t think you owned anything other than sweaters and collared shirts. You look great!” He gave her a thumbs up before he spotted Leif and jogged off in his direction.

Zoey was scanning the crowd for Tyler when she heard Simon’s voice behind her. He was speaking quietly but she caught every word. “Hey, you might want to pick your jaw up off the floor, man.” She resisted the urge to spin around, instead casting a surreptitious glance over her shoulder where she caught Max staring at her in astonishment. Her heart swelled at how handsome he looked in his tuxedo. Zoey thought it ought to be a sin to look that damn good. She never hated being sixteen more than she did at that moment.

Mo had followed her gaze to Max, nodding appreciatively. “Okay, Red. I understand now.”

Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, Zoey grabbed Mo’s hand, dragging him into the throng of people and away from Max. She wasn’t ready to face him yet, because she wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

— — —

Even standing on her tiptoes and craning her neck, Zoey’s short stature didn’t make it easy for her to locate Tyler among the mob of people. If she wanted to find him quickly, she needed a better vantage point.

With that in mind, she and Mo climbed the stairs that normally led to the cereal bar, which was currently a raw bar with various other canapés and fancy hors d’oeuvres scattered throughout.

Apparently, this is where Tobin had disappeared to because Leif was tossing shrimp into the air for him to catch in his mouth. Zoey let out a small bark of laughter and fondly thought about how much she was going to miss those two.

“Hey Zoloft, who’s that girl all over your man?”

Zoey thought Mo must be looking at the wrong person, but her heart sank when she caught sight of a stunning brunette who was _most definitely_ all over Tyler on the dance floor below.

“I-I don’t know. I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks though...right?” She looked hopefully over at Mo who had an expression on his face that clearly conveyed he thought Zoey was out of her damn mind if she couldn’t see what was playing out right before her eyes. Zoey stubbornly held onto the hope that Tyler wasn’t actually cheating on her, but when he leaned down to kiss the girl, even Zoey couldn’t deny what was happening.

“Oh _hell no_ ,” Zoey heard Mo say before he grabbed her hand and dragged her down the stairs.

“Mo, wait! I don’t want to cause a scene!” Zoey tried, without success, to break away from Mo so she could go hide and lick her wounds in peace.

“Girl, you have _got_ to stand up for yourself. Let today be known as the day Zoey Clarke gets a backbone!” Zoey felt her panic rising the closer they got to Tyler and his mystery girl.

All of a sudden, she was thrown in front of them and scrambling for something to say.

“What the hell, Tyler?”

_Yes, that was a good start_. Although she was taken aback by the fiery tone of her voice.

“Oh, hey Zoey.” He was smirking at her and the brunette’s interest seemed to pique at hearing her name. She flicked her eyes over Zoey in quick perusal. “So, this is the girl that’s been stalking you.”

The blood drained from Zoey’s face. _What?_

“That’s not...” Zoey’s fire was stamped out, replaced with confusion. “Tyler, what’s she talking about?” She attempted to read his expression, trying to make sense of what was happening, but he said nothing. It was the girl who responded.

“My boyfriend has told me all about how you won’t leave him alone, always texting him, waiting for him to show up here. It’s a little pathetic, don’t you think?” Zoey noticed they had attracted the attention of the nearby guests and she wanted nothing more than to disappear.

“So, she...she’s the reason you’ve been going back home the last couple of weeks?” Zoey had to ask. “Did I not mean anything to you?” She choked out, and she hated how broken she sounded. 

“Oh my god, Zoey, don’t act like you’re so innocent in all this. All the late nights _working_ with Max. I only got back together with my ex when it became obvious you were sleeping with him.”

Zoey thought seeing Tyler kiss another girl had hurt, but his accusation cut far deeper. No one had ever attacked her character like that before. She was stunned into silence.

But Tyler was right about one thing — she wasn’t completely innocent, she’d been harboring a crush for Max since Day One. And maybe there _were_ times she had emotionally crossed the line with him into a territory that was more than just friends.

A lot seemed to happen all at once. Mo was threatening to punch Tyler in the face and Tobin was coming to Zoey’s defense. “Hey, don’t disrespect Zoey like that. She’s worth a thousand of you.” But all Zoey could focus on was how she needed to get the hell out of there before she had a breakdown in front of everyone.

Nothing like some public humiliation to end her time at SPRQ Point.

Zoey pushed her way through the crowd, to the elevators, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. She absolutely _refused_ to let herself to cry over him.

Once inside, she pressed 16 on the touchscreen and waited as the elevator began its agonizingly slow climb to the top. When the doors opened, she stepped out onto the rooftop garden and into the pouring rain.

Rain in August in San Francisco was rare, and Zoey took it as a sign that the Universe was commiserating with her.

She wandered aimlessly until she found a railing near the edge of the building. She held tightly onto it, closing her eyes and sucking in a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

Five minutes passed of her standing there in the rain, hair plastered to her face. Zoey thought if she stayed out there long enough, the rain might just wash the sadness out of her.

She heard footsteps behind her before a jacket was draped across her shoulders, protecting her from the rain even though she was already soaked through. The gesture was kind and the jacket smelled like Max. Zoey should have known he’d coming looking for her. He always did.

“Go ahead, tell me ‘I told you so,’” she said without looking at him, keeping her gaze steady on the railing in front of her, not wanting to see the pity in his eyes.

“For what it’s worth, Tyler’s a kid and an idiot. He made the wrong choice.” Zoey watched as he placed his hands next to hers and leaned against the rail.

“That’s not worth much coming from you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Max sounded hurt and Zoey immediately regretted her words, but she couldn’t stop the next ones from tumbling out of her mouth. “I’m so tired of falling for guys that don’t fall back.”

“Zoey, I—“

“You all say the nicest things. Oh, you’re so great, you’re so amazing, but none of you want to date me. So, do you want to tell me what I do wrong, Max? Tell me why I’m so easy to give up and then maybe I can fix it.”

Zoey watched as Max’s knuckles turned white from how hard he was clutching onto the railing. “Zoey,” his voice cracked, “you are asking the wrong guy.”

She glanced over at him then, surprised by the unfettered emotion in his voice and the anguish in his eyes. He brought one hand up to cradle her face, gently brushing his thumb across her cheek. She drew a sharp intake of breath before leaning into his touch because, _goddamn it_ , if this was the last time she was ever going to see Max, she was determined to make it count.

“Please, Max. Just...please tell me that I’m not crazy. That...that you feel it, too.”

Max swallowed hard, but he continued to cup her face with one hand as he brought the other to rest lightly on her shoulder. He unflinchingly met her gaze, “Zoey, I...I’m not denying it. I won’t lie to you and say that I’ve never...thought about what I _wish_ we could be. I’ve known it from the first day I met you that you’re special, that what we have is special. I’ve never felt so... _connected_ to another person before, and honestly, it’s terrifying — that I could feel so strongly about someone so quickly.” He released her then and resumed his death grip on the railing so he wouldn’t be tempted to reach for her again.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that right now, you’re sixteen. And what you think you want now, it might not be the same in five years. When I was sixteen, all I ever dreamed of was being on Broadway. I even went to college for musical theater. But things change. On a whim I took an Intro to Computer Science course and ended up here. Zoey, you have your whole life ahead of you, and I don’t doubt for one second that you’re going to change the world with that brilliant mind of yours.” His voice was hoarse as he continued, “You’ve already changed mine. I hope, _some day_ , I have the chance to once again bear witness to everything you’re capable of.”

The two were silent for a long time, trying to prolong the inevitable.

“I’m going to miss...” _you_ , she thought, “...working with you.”

Max seemed to read between the lines. “Yeah, me too,” he said softly.

Her throat was tight as she shrugged off his jacket, handing it back to him. “Goodbye, Max.”

His voice was barely a whisper as he echoed her words. “Goodbye, Zoey.”

— — —

At 2am, Zoey was on the kitchen floor, surrounded by various parts of the microwave. She had taken it apart in record time, but now that she had to put it back together, all she could do was stare blankly at the mess in front of her.

She had no idea how long she sat there, but at some point she sensed her dad standing in the archway and she glanced up, eyes shining with the tears she had been holding back all night.

Wordlessly, her dad crossed the kitchen and sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms.

Zoey couldn’t stop the sobs from wracking her body after that.


	14. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who stuck with me! I know the age gap was an issue for some people, but I had so much fun mashing together my favorite show from when I was like 12 with the masterpiece that is Zoey’s.
> 
> This is how it ends...

Four years later, Zoey found herself back at SPRQ Point.

She had finished high school, graduating at the top of her class — no surprise there. At nineteen, she received her Bachelor of Computer Science and after an accelerated Master’s program, she received her second degree at the age of twenty.

During that time, she went on to complete internships at two other major tech companies — Apple and Google, ultimately receiving job offers from both upon her college graduation. And, of course, she never forgot about the job offer Joan had extended her all those years ago.

When it came time to make a decision, she did not make the choice lightly. Zoey made an extensive pros and cons list for each company. She even went so far as forcing her parents to watch a PowerPoint presentation on the merits and downfalls of each to garner their opinions. But in the end, they left the decision entirely up to her.

While she enjoyed her time at Apple and Google, both places only ever felt like work to her. Neither place made her feel quite like she had when she was at SPRQ Point — like she was home.

— — —

As she entered the bullpen, Zoey was happy to see the familiar faces of Joan, Leif, Tobin, and, _thankfully_ , Glenn — Zoey had been slightly worried that Joan might have actually made good on her promise to fire him.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw someone hunched over at Max’s desk, but it soon dropped when the person looked up and it was _not Max._

She had no time to dwell on her disappointment because she was soon tackled by Tobin who wrapped her up in a giant hug. “Oh uh, hey Tobes. It’s good to see you, too.” She laughed as he released her.

“Zoey, you could not have picked a better day to start because Joan has us on this impossible deadline and we’re going to need your brain if we want to even stand a chance. I’m telling you, it’s madness.”

Grinning, Zoey sat down at her old desk and couldn’t quell the urge to ask, “What happened to Max?”

“Oh, he’s moved onto bigger things. But don’t worry, Lionel is legit. The dude’s got jokes.”

Zoey deduced that Lionel was the current occupant of what used to be Max’s desk when he glanced over at her and said, “You know, the shovel was a groundbreaking invention.”

— — —

On Friday of her first week as an official employee of SPRQ Point, Joan called Zoey into her office.

“Zoey, I need you to take these files to the sixth floor.”

Zoey grabbed the folder and gave a salute. “I’m on it, Joan.”

When Zoey stepped out of the elevator, she wondered if she had accidentally pressed the button for the wrong floor because this was not the sixth floor she remembered from years ago. She had only been up here once, but it was hard to forget the sleek, slightly soul-sucking vibe of the place.

Glancing behind her, she saw a giant “6” on the elevator doors.

Distracted, she wandered in the direction of Ava’s office, looking around at all the sculptures and paintings that now filled the space. She never would have taken Ava for an artsy kind of person.

Zoey was still marveling at her surroundings when she walked into the office. Remembering her mission, she directed her focus onto the person behind the desk and abruptly stopped in her tracks. “You’re not Ava.”

“Last I checked,” the person behind the desk was smiling at her.

For several moments, the two just stared at each other.

“Zoey Clarke,” the person said finally, a hint of awe in their tone.

“Maxwell Richman,” Zoey replied, and then winced, “I...don’t know why I just called you Maxwell. You’re just Max. Max Richman, my old pal.”

Amusement was evident on his face as his smile widened. “Is that for me?” He asked, gesturing to the folder in her hands.

“Oh! Um...yes! Here you go,” she bridged the distance and handed the files to Max. “I can’t believe you run the whole sixth floor. Not that...I mean obviously I’m not _surprised_ by that information, I was just under the impression you no longer worked here. Well, that’s how Tobin made it seem, anyway.” Zoey rocked on her feet, trying to decide if she should take a seat. She really wanted to catch up with Max, but she had to get back to the fourth floor soon and for all she knew, Max was incredibly busy right now.

“Please,” Max interrupted her internal debate, “sit down a minute. I’ll fill you in.” Zoey complied and waited for Max to continue. “Yeah, so I’ve been on the sixth floor for almost three years now. Ava accepted a job at Microsoft and when they needed to fill her position, they recruited me. Actually, I have you to thank for getting me here.”

Zoey scrunched up her face in confusion. “What did I have to do with anything?”

“Our BugOut app,” Max said in way of explanation.

Zoey smiled as she remembered the app they had developed together. It could identify inconsistencies in code — albeit, it could only detect simple bugs, but still, it was a game changer. 

“That was all your idea, though.”

Max shook his head, still smiling. “Without you, I never would have been able to get the app to function properly. I’d probably _still_ be trying to make it work,” he chuckled and Zoey couldn’t stop the warmth that spread through her. She had missed his laugh.

“I uh...I should probably get back before Joan sends someone to look for me.” Zoey stood up. “Um, bye,” she laughed as she awkwardly waved her hand and made for the door.

“Hey, Zoey,” he called after her, causing her to spin back around. “It’s really great to see you again.”

“Yeah, it’s really great to see you, too.”

— — —

Over the next few months, Zoey and Max ran into each other on more than a few occasions, which only made sense since they worked at the same company. Zoey was feeling particularly bold during one of those encounters and asked Max if he would be interested in having lunch together, to which he enthusiastically responded “Yes, absolutely. I would love to.”

After that, the two started having lunch dates a few days a week and it felt like no time had passed at all. They fell effortlessly together into a beautiful friendship.

During this period, Joan was working the fourth floor to death, which meant Zoey had little time to think of much else besides work. But when she did let her mind wander, it wandered to Max.

Max, who now openly flirted with her and held her hand while they walked to their destination for lunch. Zoey may have purposely started choosing new locations that were _just a little bit farther_ so she could prolong that simple contact.

But Max did those two things and nothing else. Eventually, Zoey had resolved herself to accepting that she and Max were only ever destined to be _just friends_. Just friends who occasionally liked to flirt and hold hands.

— — —

One morning in March, when Zoey had been at SPRQ Point for six months, she stopped by the Golden Gate Grind before work. She spotted Max by the counter waiting for his drink and she was about to call his name when a familiar tune started drifting out over the speakers in the coffee shop.

_She’s got a way about her_  
_I don’t know what it is_  
_But I know that I can’t live without her_

Zoey took this as another sign from the Universe.

She watched as the corner of Max’s lips curved into a smile. As if sensing her presence, he turned his head and immediately locked eyes with Zoey. For a moment, they both stood there grinning like idiots before she abandoned her spot in line and walked over to where he stood.

“So, I know it hasn’t quite been five years, but I do know what I want,” Zoey said, referring back to their conversation on the rooftop garden over four years ago.

“Oh yeah?” He was smiling, and it was obvious that he already knew what she was going to say. “And what’s that?”

“I want to take you to dinner. Tonight, preferably.”

Neither one could keep the smile off their face as Max responded. “Okay then. It’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it! You can interpret the ending however you want — Zoey and Max can either stay friends or fall madly, deeply in love.
> 
> I was going to take a break from writing, but then a new idea popped into my head so I’m sure I’ll have that posted sometime later this month. And I promise, Zoey and Max will be the same age lol 😹


End file.
